FOUND’s Danielle Savre Previews Her New Mysterious Role: ‘I Immediately Was Drawn to Her’

When FOUND returns on Thursday, January 16 (at 10/9c), there’s a new mysterious character in the mix: Heather (Danielle Savre), a lawyer who catches Trent’s (Brett Dalton) eye.

Though this marks Savre’s debut on the series, she’s been a regular presence on television over the past few decades, between starring on STATION 19 (and crossing over to GREY’S ANATOMY), as well as appearances on SUPERNATURAL, HEROES, BLUE BLOODS, SUMMERLAND, and THE X-FILES.

Here, the actress-director talks with Give Me My Remote about joining the NBC series, working with Shanola Hampton and the cast, the STATION 19 fan support, and what to expect from Heather.

After STATION 19 ended, coming off a show where you played a character for over 100 episodes, what was your approach for your next role? Were you looking to do a guest arc, series regular, or was it more fluid?
I was really just looking for a character that made me feel connected, that really spoke to me. And when I signed on for this character, I didn’t have much backstory; I just loved the writing. I read the sides, and I was like, “I love this character. I really don’t know who she is, but I want to know her more.” I immediately was drawn to her. So I think that’s what I was looking for. And I was really grateful that I found it in FOUND.

Heather has an interesting entrance into the FOUND world in the January 16 episode, “Missing While Targeted.” What can you tease about how and why we meet her?
[Laughs.] It was quite interesting. And as I got there, the first day on set, every single person reminded me how interesting it was, just in the simple fact that we’ve never done a scene like this on the show. And I was like, “This is a good initiation into the show.” It definitely broke the ice in a lot of ways. 

What I can tease about that first scene is that we really don’t know much, which actually makes it even more interesting. We don’t know how [Trent] and Heather got to this place. And, clearly, they don’t know much about each other, either. It just feels like these two people have a lot of chemistry that resulted in them having a night together. And it’s really fun to watch and to play.

That’s kind of where we’re at with that. But I do enjoy that the chemistry there was definitely apparent, and it was fun to shoot it with Brett.

She’s also a lawyer. How much are we seeing that element of her life?
I think what’s interesting about Heather is her whole life is [about] being a lawyer. I think that ambition is really representative in her work. So she first and foremost is a lawyer and an attorney, and that’s all she really cares about in her life, almost to a fault. 

So that’s interesting to go just like with [Hampton’s] Gabi and Trent being having these opposing things—because he’s a police officer and she’s trying to save people and kind of go around the law—[it’s the] same with Heather and [Trent]. It’s going to be interesting to see how that dynamic conflicts with each other, because she’s an attorney that can sometimes represent both good and bad people. And he is a cop who’s trying to be on the right side of the law. So I think it’s going to manifest itself into some interesting tension that will be really fun to watch unfold.

What is Heather’s take on what investigations she’s actually witnessing M&A do?
Her take on everything is going to be slightly interesting…I think all ambitious people, like Gabi—I’ll make that comparison a lot—we don’t know where it comes from. Does that come from a place of trauma? Does it come from a place of drive? But I do feel that both of them, both Gabi and Heather, their ambition comes from a place of trauma. And I think her interest in the cases at M&A will be reflective of the trauma she experienced and how she’s become the person she is. And how both Gabi and Heather’s trauma will both…[Pauses.] conflict.

Speaking about the comparison to Gabi, obviously, Gabi is someone who is important to Trent. What is Heather’s take on that entire situation and Gabi as a whole?
I think she is very, very intrigued by Gabi and respects Gabi for the work she does…and for her ambition. I think she really respects Gabi in a lot of ways, early on. 

You’ll see how that unfolds the more she gets to know about Gabi. Just like the entire M&A crew discovered things about Gabi that they weren’t also happy about, I think Heather’s appreciation and respect for Gabi unfolds a little bit as she begins to know more and more about Gabi.



This is a cast that’s been working together now for a season and a half by the time you joined the show. What was it like getting to work with them and coming into an established dynamic?
It was so much fun. It was fun because the cast and the crew are amazing. And I think that is very representative of both Shanola being an amazing leader and [creator] NK[echi Okoro Carroll] also being an amazing leader. And I think it really shows in the fact that everyone feels like family. 

Shanola will be singing and dancing before action and after [they call] cut. And Heather’s a very tense character, so sometimes I was laughing as they’re calling to action. I’m like [Joking.], “Shanola, you can’t do that!” But she really was able to make it such a warm and welcoming environment, as did NK, by also writing such amazing, fun scenes to play as an actor—even though they are all very, extremely tense and exciting. [Laughs.]

But, yeah, it was amazing to go from…STATION 19, which also felt like such a family, to play that for seven years, to go to a show that also feels like such a family, and to be so welcomed with open arms…I’m very grateful. I’m very, very grateful.

Your casting was announced over the summer and your fans have been so excited for you to pop up in this world. What has it been like watching them anticipate your arrival on the show, and seeing their theories about who you may be playing, even before you showed up on-screen?
I was pretty amazed by that. I mean, I was always amazed at the fan love I even got from STATION 19. And then I really didn’t know that it would transfer over to a completely different show; I really thought it was linked to that past show…[that I was on for] seven years.

And so it was actually quite overwhelming at first. [Laughs.] Because, like you said, [there were] all of the theories that came out so quickly! I was like, “I haven’t even shot these episodes yet! I don’t even know what’s happening!” 

But it’s also really fun because it’s made me go, “Oh, me and the fans can now connect over this show.” And they seem so invested and so interested. 

I’m really excited and really happy that they are as invested in this role as they were in [STATION 19’s] Maya. And I hope that they enjoy getting to watch her, whether they like her or not; I hope that they do and get to enjoy getting to watch her. And I love how many people love the show already. That’s really made me excited.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

FOUND, Thursdays, 10/9c, NBC

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